Legacy Diaries

Chidambaram and in specific Thillai Nataraja
Temple was in my bucket list since few years.Just a simple disclaimer to my reader, I am neither a devotee nor a
person who prefers pilgrimage trips and to be frank I am more an Atheist. But
since the past few years my interest towards Ancient and Medieval Indian
temples has increased, especially the Art, Architecture, Sculpture and Paintings
associated with these temples and visualizing the sociological impacts these
extraordinary marvels would have created or intended. So this blog post will be
of no use to a spiritual seeker.

Expectations

I was
very much interested in the Siva Sculpture in Tandava dance form, who is also
the principal deity, 4 stunning Gopurams (Gatehouse Towers) and the wall
inscriptions.

Travel Plans

It’s a
family trip with 6 members and my 8 months old daughter. We booked an Innova
from Pondicherry (actually I reside here now). Our plan is to start by 07.30AM
in the morning, visit the temple and while returning had plans to go boating in
Pichavaram wetlands.

Chidambaram
Temple

We
reached Chidambaram at 10.15 in the morning. There is provision for parking car
outside the temple. The first banner we noticed was from the police department
warning with portraits of chain snatchers and pick-pockets. The vendors
insisted us to buy “Agal Vilaku” (Mud Lamp) telling us that it is special for
the day (we went on Friday). However, the tables to light these lamps are just outside
the main temple shrine, in the verandah once you enter the east gopuram.

No doubt the temple is an architectural marvel.
There are 4 Gopurams, of which the east gopuram depicts all the 108 postures from
Natya Sastra from which Bharatanatyam has evolved. There is a sacred pool near
the north gopuram and it is called Sivaganga. The pillared courtyards inside
the temple remains us how these places might have been used for dance and drama
performances and the pilgrims would have also used them to rest during their
pilgrimage. The temple also hosts deities of Saktism and Vaishnavism . It is an
interesting example of how the Chola Kings who usually revered Saivism also
included Vaishnavism in their urban centers. It is also said that the
Vaishanava deity was taken away to Tirupathi during Kulothunuga Chola reign and
was brought and later reinstalled by Vijayanagar Kings. Another historical fact
is that the Delhi Sultans under Malik Kafur (watched Padmavathy?) raided the
temple and looted bounty of gold and took back to Delhi.

Present
Status of the Temple

Despite having a rich history, I was
surprised and quite worried by the way it is managed now. The temple complex
actually runs like a business with priest or you can call young trainee priests
working as marketing managers. To me following were the surprising incidents/issues
in the temple,

Costly Blank
Paper Ticket: The principal deity is in a garbagraha placed in an elevated sanctum.
Devotees usually stand below the elevated structure. However if one need to see
the deity in close quarters and make special darshana, then there is a
provision to take special ticket and climb up the elevated sanctum from the
sideways. Actually I was interested to watch the Siva sculpture in Tandava
dance form and also the “Kaala Kadikaram”. We paid Rs.100 for each ticket for 6
of us and the priests just gave a white chit paper which had nothing other than
the number 6 or something like that which I don’t remember. Is there any
accountability for the money collected? Why not a receipt? Also all those with
ticket were sent together, so only the few who first entered get the option to stand
close. So I would say that it is just waste of money and time. It is
comfortably better to watch from down which the local devotees were doing when
we foolishly went up. Neither had I view to watch the sculpture nor the Kaala
Kadigaaram.

Marketing
Priests:
Once we came down, the priests asked us to donate (like membership) to get Prasad
by post during important ceremonies. In multiple places, whenever we tried to
talk/enquire to priests they always enquired us for the same. Unlike other
temples, here they are almost trying to sell, if I have to put it in other
words.

Snack/Prasad
Shop:
There is a snack shop inside the temple. Laddu, Muruku etc., are sold. They are
costly than even the A2B sweets. But the quality is so poor. We just had to
dispose everything. So never ever buy inside.

Temple
Inscription: I read about the temple inscription before going, but as it is a
big complex I was not able to find the inscriptions. After searching for some
time, I found them at the west entrance. Quite surprisingly the young priests
had no idea what is inscribed in it when enquired. They said it is about god
and the prayers. I don’t blame them, but it will be great if they are taught
the historical values of the temple. So not just they share it with tourists,
but will also maintain them properly.

Overall
Experience

Over
all it didn’t meet my expectations, probably due to the bad series of
incidents. I expected it equivalent to Tanjore and Madurai but to surprise it was
not on par with them.

Seventh Pay Commission seems to
be a benchmark for all industry level wage talks post its implementation. In
the banking industry, the wage talks for 11th Bipartite settlement had already
begun with little headway so far in the negotiations. The delay is not taken
positively, especially by the young bankers and most of the whats app groups
and Facebook pages are flooded with comparison of bank pay with 7th pay
commission. In fact, to my surprise there are many hard and ardent supporters
for implementation of 7th Central Pay Commission in banks, which is nothing but
a retrograde step and similar to killing a duck which lays a golden egg. As I
had opportunity to taste both the settlements, I wish to come out with a
critical comparison of both of them.

Features

10th Bipartite Settlement

7th Pay Commission

Which is Best?

Basic Pay

Rs.25,563.75 (including Special
Pay)

Rs.56,100

7th CPC

Dearness Allowance

Revised once in 3 months with
immediate effect.

Cabinet approves the revised DA
once in 6 months and usually paid in arrears due to late announcement.

BPS

Annual Increment

Rs. 980 (which is 4.13% of Basic
Pay)

3% of Basic Pay

BPS

House Rent Allowance

Rs.1659 (7%)/ Rs.1896 (8%) Rs.2133 (9%)

Rs.4488 (8%) / Rs.8976 (16%)/
Rs.13,464 (24%)

BPS

Leased Accomodation : Even the
present quantum provided for leased accomodation is more than the HRA
received at every level as per 7th CPC

No Leased Accomodation

Option of availing 150% of the eligible HRA

No option to avail 150% HRA

Annual Medical Allowance

Rs.8000. Apart for this, many banks
provide monthly medical allowance too with a minimum of Rs.500

No such allowance

BPS

Professional Update Allowance

Increment Provided for JAIIB and
CAIIB and reimbursement for other exams.

Fixed one time allowance of
Rs.15000 which is hiked by 50% only in scientific departments like ISRO,
DRDO, DAE etc.,

BPS

Deputation Allowance

7.75% (or Rs.4000) for outside and
4% (or Rs.2000) for same station

As per 6th CPC, the ceiling was
same as Bank and now it is enhanced to Rs.4500 for same station and Rs. 9000
for outside

7th CPC

Hill Area Allowance

Min of Rs.750 to a max of Rs.2000

Rs. 900 as per 6th CPC and now it is abolished.

BPS

Entertainment Allowance

Rs.1800 for JMG 1 and Rs.4200 for
JMG as BM

Provided for Cabinet Secretary and
Railway Officers only. As per 6th CPC it was Rs.1000 for entry level officer
and now it is abolished.

BPS

Conveyance Allowance

Rs. 9/km for Car and Rs.4.45/km for
Two wheeler to travel on own vehicle for official duty

Approximately Rs.5.6 per KM for Car

BPS

Lodging Reimbursement

Rs.1000 to Rs.1500 per day
(excluding Halting Allowance)

Rs.2250 per day ( no additional
Halting Allowance)

More or Less same

Halting Allowance

Rs.800 to Rs.1300

Rs.900 (called as Lump Sum)

BPS

Transport Allowance

Provided as Petrol Allowance

Rs.3600 + DA / Rs.7200 + DA TPTA
Cities

7th CPC

Travel Entitlement

2nd AC Train or Economy Class
Flight

2nd AC Train or Economy Class
Flight

Both Same

Medical Facility

Introduced Health Insurance Scheme

Recommended to introduce Health
Insurance Scheme

Both Same

LOANS

Festival Advance

1 Month Gross Pay

Officers not eligible for interest
free Festival Advance.

BANK

Car Loan

Most of the Banks have Car Loan
upto 9 Lakhs

Rs.1,80,000 or 8 month Basic
whichever is less.

BANK

HBA

Most of the Banks have HBA not less
than 50 Lakhs

25 Lakhs or 34 times of Basic
whichever is less and recommended to reduces minimum service to 5 years from
10 years.

BANK

LEAVES

CASUAL LEAVE

12 Days

8 Days

BPS

EL / PL

33 Days (1 Day for every 11 Days)

30 Days

BPS

Medical/ Commutted/ Sick Leave

30 Days of Half Pay Basis. Medical
Certificates waived twice in a year

20 Days of Half Pay Basis. No
waiver of medical certificate

BPS

Unavailed Casual Leave

CL unavailed can be carried upto 3
years

CL unavailed expires and no option
to carry over

BPS

Maternity Leave

12 Months (max of 6 months in 1
occasion)

180 Days

BPS

Paternity Leave

15 Days

15 Days

Both Same

PROMOTION

Promotion

Provision of Fast Track Channel.
Once in 3 years promotion can be taken and oppurtunity to reach Scale 7 (7
Promotions) in 18 years.

Indian Audit and Account Service
has the minimum period to reach Senior Administrative Grade (5th Promotion)
and it takes 17 years on a Average.

BPS

From the above table it is very clear that it
is just the hike in basic pay which is having an impact in the pay slip for
employees under CPC. Other than Basic Pay, the allowance and facilities, even
as per the 10th Bipartite settlement is better in banks. Concessional loans
provided to bankers are unparalleled. Leaves are much better. Once the other Saturdays
are also declared leave as per the charter of demands of 11th BPS, then leaves
will be one of the best in the industry. It is due to lack awareness that many
insist for CPC by throwing away BPC. If the interest/EMI benefits due to
concessional loans and other allowances are also included to arrive at cost to
company basis, then bank pays are better than any other pay in public sector.
Let us learn to appreciate what we have. Instead of asking for implementation
of 7th CPC, it is wise enough to ask for equivalent basic pay within the BPS
ambit which is already in the charter of demands.

“You may have to buy even water”, a common
warning given to us during the nineties when I was school kid and now within
two decades the situation had got worse. Now I may have to tell
my daughter that her generation may not get water in future even if they are
ready to buy, if water conservation is not done at present. But is the issue as
serious as portrayed? Yes, the water crisis in Cape Town, the legislative
capital of South Africa is a recent example.

So What Happened in Cape Town?

Cape Town
was running short of water and date for day zero was announced by the Municipal
Corporation. Technically speaking if storage in reservoirs is below 13.5% then
it is considered to Day Zero. So the implication was that showers are not allowed
for more than 90 seconds, 50L of ration water as daily allowance to residents
and much more restrictions.

To many of us, it was just a news. After all it
didn’t happen in India, right? Cape Town is just a predecessor and there are
many cities including Bengaluru are in the verge of the acute water crisis leading to day zero,
according to a report in Down to Earth.

Source: Down To Earth

LivPure #CuttingPanni Initiative

In the
midst of the global water crisis, LivPure has come out with an interesting
initiative based on the Cutting Chai culture of Mumbai. In short, it’s an
attempt to conserve water by starting to use half a cup of water. The below video is one of the interesting videos which was relased as part of the Live Pure #CuttingPanni initiative. There is always a half-leftover glass of water after every meeting. Why not just take half of glass of water, instead of wasting the other half?

Kerala Experience

I
visited Mattanur in Kannur district; Kerala a couple of years back and the
awareness among children’s in conserving water is something which shook me
awestruck. My spouse house is surrounded by paddy field and Rubber plantations
with water running from the mountain in a narrow canal throughout the year.
Water in well is near the ground and there is absolutely no water shortage or
crisis any time in the past.On a fine
morning a girl related to my spouse and who is less than 10 years of age
was using the tap in front of the house to wash her face and brush her teeth.
She just throttled the knob a little instead of flushing the water from the tap which was at high pressure. My experience here in city kitchens was different as we continue to keep water to flush at high pressure while washing utensils. Her
father who was standing near the paddy field called her to bring something and
she moved instantly by closing the tap. As she moved suddenly, she didn’t close
it fully and drops of water was leaking. Her father who noticed it asked her
to stop running towards him and told her to turn back and close the tap fully
without wasting water. She in turn came back and closed it fully. It all
happened in minutes and both of them continued to do their work. But the
incident is still fresh in my mind and incident was shared with all my friends many
time in the last few years. Is this the reason why Kerala is green and people
are aware of the basic necessities of life instead of getting consumed into
materialistic life? May be or maybe not, but such habitual changes is the need
of the hour to conserve water. Children’s should be taught to conserve water
and it should become a habit.

I work in a Public Sector Bank, serving in a backward
district (as per the government classification) in a small rural town of Tamil
Nadu. Most of the account holders are farmers, Agricultural labourers and
Pensioners. The first week of November, as usual like other months had queues
till evening as customers came to withdraw their salaries and pensions. The
situations seemed to ease on 07th and on 8th and the transactions were normal.
Looming NPA is an issue in almost all banks and recovery of these bad loans is
almost a day to day activity. We had an informal meeting that day for the
strategies to be followed to increase CASA (Deposits and Savings) in line with
the ongoing campaigns in the bank, met few bad loan borrowers and late in the
evening there was an official visit by the Chief Regional Manager to appraise
the performance of the branch. At around 19:30 Hrs the activities of the day
was over and everyone disbursed back to their homes. My home is an hour from my
branch and I travel by own vehicle every day. I reached home at 20:30 HRS,
television was not switched on and I turned on my WiFi to have a glance at my
WhatsApp. Within seconds, my WhatsApp was flooded with chats and messages in
groups. I usually have the habit of opening individual messages before
proceeding to the groups. One of my friend who is in Abu Dhabhi sent a
screenshot of popular Tamil daily which was running a scroll about the
Demonetization and asked me whether it was true? Without thinking a minute, I
replied it might be a fake message. However, I was surprised by the chats in
the groups and instantly switched on my television to realise that it is in
fact true. The next few hours went in attending/making calls to friends,
relatives etc. I personally felt it to be strong and bold move to curb
terrorist financing, counterfeit currency and black money.

09thNovember,
2016 (Wednesday)

It was declared holiday to public, but it was a non-business
working day to the staff. With no idea of what is going to happen on that day
we came to the branch as usual. Guidelines started to come slowly. First we
compiled the denominations available with us on that day and forwarded it to
our Regional Office/Central Office, Which in turn forwarded it RBI to get a
glimpse of Rs.500/Rs.1000 already in hand with banks in their Branch Vault,
Currency Chests, ATM’s, Business Correspondents etc. We went through the
Circulars to get idea about the procedures and forms to be collected.
Rs.500/Rs.1000 currencies in the branches were remitted to the currency chest
and new Rs.2000 denominations and other small denominations were stocked in the
vault to disburse next day. We made sure sufficient quantities of forms and
slips are available. Despite some arrangements were made for the next day, I
was in fact little tensed to handle the anticipated unprecedented rush.

The Last 10 Days: 10th November to 19thNovember

Business hours of my branch start at 10.00 A.M and I
usually reach my desk between 09.30 – 09.45 A.M to begin work. Being the
re-opening day after demonetization, with no ATM’s to serve I started bit early
and almost all banks on my way to my branch was flooding with people, couple of
hours earlier than the business hours. My first site of relief is after seeing
the police personnel who were deployed to maintain law and order situation. We
briefed them about how we have planned to handle and strictly made everyone to
come in queue’s to serve faster and better. So our team had two officers
(including me), three clerks (who are authorised to handle cash), 1 sub-staff,
1 Jewel Appraiser, 4 Business Correspondents and 1 constable from the local
police station. Among us only the three clerks can officially sit in counter’s
to take and pay cash. It means officers cannot use their login to sit in
counters to take cash. We deployed all three clerks and opened 3 counters for
deposits and withdrawals. Depending on the queue in the other counter, they
often swapped to receive and give payments. Business Correspondents and Jewel
Appraiser were used to help people to fill forms and brief them about
procedures. By this way we tried our best to make sure nobody waits in queue
and is turned back later for want of documents.

To my surprise the first day was in fact pleasant. People listened
to us and in fact supported us. There was absolutely no chaos (at least in my
branch).Since all the clerks were used for deposits and withdrawals, I decided
to give exchange from my desk by taking documents. Though it is little risky,
you absolutely don’t have any choice. If something goes wrong, you need to
answer as you are not expected to handle cash (for which cashiers are there)
with little security around you. The new menu/ program created overnight by the
IT team to exchange cash, was in fact a blessing in disguise. All the counting
machines with UV facility to trace counterfeit currency were with the
cashiers/clerks. I have to give exchange, but I cannot claim shortage of UV
machines as a reason for fake currency exchanged by me without checking. I
deployed a Business Correspondent (BC) for this purpose. Once I receive the
document and cash for exchange, I gave the cash to him who stood near me. He
takes few steps to the reach the counting machine with UV near a clerk and
verifies its originality. Meanwhile, I verified the documents, fed them into
the system and once the BC returns back after checking the currency, I took
back the cash and exchanged new currency. This entire process took less than
15-20 seconds for a customer. To be short the BC near me was in fact running between
the counters. What worried us was that even customers who had bank account
didn’t prefer to deposit their cash in their accounts, even though the queue
for deposits was much smaller than exchange. Though our system gave warning of
any repeated identification number and mobile number, which is already fed to
exchange cash. Some people started coming with different id’s and mobile
numbers. Literally, if someone has PAN, ADHAAR, Voter Id, Driving Licence, Govt
Issued ID Card and NREG Card. He can swap 6 times by providing different mobile
numbers in a particular bank. Now you can imagine what if he does in all the
other banks. The commission market by touts, kept the exchange queue’s never
ending which added to our worry, as fear started creeping in that exchange
queue is never going to end. We were able to stop few of those who exchanged
already if we are able to remember them. But it often resulted in heated
arguments.

When we closed?

To be frank many branches (which had currency chest) were
almost open 24*7 and staff stayed there round the clock to make sure the
dependent branches get their share of cash supply to handle their next day
demand. In other branches the first two days (10thand 11th), the business hours were
extended infinitely. Though the media briefed that timing have been extended
till 20:00 Hrs. The instruction passed on to us was different. We were asked to
serve till 20:00 Hrs or till the last customer whichever is later. Once the
last customer was served, we then started the verification of the transactions,
tallying of the cash with us and in the books. If everything goes right and the
cash tallies, all is well. If there is short or excess, then it becomes a night
mare. Technically, you cannot close your day when there is short or excess
cash. Now the drama begins again late in the night. We take back all the
vouchers of the day, check one by one again, verify the denomination and have
to find from where the excess or short cash has come. If it is found, then its
fine, if not then the cashier who had shortage in cash has to pay from his
pocket. Yes, you read it right. He has to pay from his pocket the same day
immediately to wind up. If there is excess, we park it in a temporary account
(technically called Sundry Creditors) which has to be rectified in the
subsequent days. With the load of work and stress, many cashiers have lost
their hard earned salaries due to cash short at the end of the day. Many
branches after tallying closed even at 01:00 or 02:00 in the mid night and
despite the fact, he has to return next day well before the time to handle the
queue. No leave strictly at any cost.

Food and Tea?

We sat like machines, once you sit, you cannot stand again.
Tea served at your desk, but you cannot have it till it chills. Most of the
days we went to lunch around 15:00 Hrs and finished it in 10 minutes. As box
from the home took extra time as we have to wash the plates and utensils. I
personally didn’t take box from 11thand bought packets from nearby hotel,
so that it is easy to take and move on immediately.

Closing the Gate

The extension of time was for first two days. Despite the fact we
tried to accommodate internally on Saturday and Sunday for some time even after
the business hours. But how long can we keep on accommodating? At some point
you have to close it and this was a break point in many branches which even led
to heated arguments. Most of the abuses are not from our regular customers, but
from others who came at last minute to exchange. The most painful moment is
that, the out of the few who created chaos at the last minute abusing the
frontline cashiers were in fact exchanging on behalf of someone for a
commission. As Business Correspondents are localities, they come out with
information about “who does what on behalf of whom”. Of course, yes we cannot
do anything, as you cannot prove that the Rs.4000 is not his. Absolutely there
is nothing other than placing inks in their finger was the option left behind to
curb multiple exchanges in multiple banks. Whether it is right or wrong is
different. The government had no other options which will work. Though there
was announcement over it, it is only urban/ metro branches which got the inks
earlier. Even till today many rural branches are yet to receive. But what
happened as a result of the announcement is something different. There was a
drastic reduction in people who turn to exchange, which helped us to focus on
our own customers in the counter.

Personal Life

I absolutely had no regrets joining the banking industry. In
fact I was proud to be part of the black money clean up drive. Yes, our
personal life and commitments got disturbed slightly. All these days, I just
came back to home to have a sleep for few hours, not sure of the stock of
vegetables and other groceries in home hoping my family would have managed,
skipped all marriages and functions, asked my spouse to go alone to temple on
our wedding Anniversary. But I understand all these are temporary. After all
there is another Sunday to manage these commitments.